Employee forced to participate in a ‘diversity’ program that only ‘women and people of color’ were allowed to participate.
By Katy Grimes, California Globe, 7/26/23
A former employee of Compass Group USA, Inc., one of the world’s largest corporations is suing her former employer for religious discrimination and wrongful termination after being forced to participate in a “diversity” program that only “women and people of color” were allowed to participate. When she expressed her concerns about the program, she was terminated.
On July 24, 2023, Thomas More Society attorneys filed a federal lawsuit in United States Court for the Southern District of California against Compass Group USA, Inc., following the employee’s firing after she refused to endorse, promote, or participate in a program that blatantly discriminated on the basis of race and gender.
“Our client, Ms. Rogers, was employed by Compass Group USA as an Internal Mobility Team recruiter where she consistently received positive performance feedback from her colleagues and supervisors,” said Attorney Paul Jonna.
From the lawsuit:
In early 2022, COMPASS—one of the largest companies in the world— devised a “diversity” program that it misnamed “Operation Equity.” The program offered only women and persons of color the opportunity to participate in training and receive mentorship, with a promise of guaranteed promotion. The program’s accurate name would have been “White-Men-Need-Not-Apply.” The program was motivated by racial animus against white men held by certain members of COMPASS’s senior management. COMPASS executives like JOANN CANADAY, Vice President of Human Resources Operations (Canteen), and RALENA ROWE, Vice President of Talent Acquisition, stated that the program was intended to “right the wrongs of the last hundred years.” And they threatened would-be opponents of their program: “This is the direction the world is going, jump on the train or get run over.” And they proclaimed: “We are not here to appease the old white man.” Of course, RALENA ROWE and JOANN CANADY anticipated that “There would be a homogenous group of people against this program,” and they planned to draft a response to objections made by people in that “homogenous” group.
As a human resource employee at COMPASS in 2022, Plaintiff COURTNEY ROGERS could not “jump on that train.”
“Operation Equity” was purportedly a “diversity” program that offered qualified members special training and mentorship and the promise of guaranteed promotion. However, this was not a “diversity program” – Only “women and people of color” were allowed to participate. White males were specifically excluded, including from applying for the program, participating in the program, and receiving the program’s benefits of training, mentorship, and guaranteed promotion. Accordingly, what COMPASS falsely labeled as “Operation Equity” was a discrimination program against white males and intended to deny white males employment opportunities and benefits made available by COMPASS to women and people of color, the lawsuit states.
Attorney Jonna added, “Courtney Rogers expressed her concerns and requested an accommodation to not be required to work on the program. The initiative directly conflicted with her sincerely held religious beliefs holding that all people, regardless of race or gender, are created equal. She was assured by a senior human resources officer that there would be no retaliation against her for expressing her beliefs and she could be assigned different responsibilities as accommodation.”
“And yet, within about two weeks, that very officer terminated Ms. Rogers. He had assured Courtney that she was doing excellent work, and then the termination letter that Compass sent her said that she was being terminated for ‘unsatisfactory performance,’” Jonna said.
Compass Group USA, Inc. is one of the largest employers in the world and the parent group of recognizable names like Bon Appétit Restaurant Management, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and TouchPoint.
The court complaint details how the Compass program was motivated by the racial animus held by certain members of the firm’s senior management. The lawsuit, which demands a jury trial, seeks relief from “Religious Creed Discrimination” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, as well as wrongful termination in violation of public policy.
In addition to financial compensatory damages as a result of Compass’ discriminatory and retaliatory conduct, the court is asked to require the corporation’s senior management in human resources to participate in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Fair Treatment training, classes, and oversight—to ensure that Compass does not discriminate and retaliate against other employees in the manner it did with Rogers.
Read the complaint filed July 24, 2023, by Thomas More Society attorneys in the United States Court for the Southern District of California on behalf of Courtney J. Rogers, in Rogers v. Compass Group USA, Inc. et al. The Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity.
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